To check the menace of speeding trucks and buses on highways, the Supreme Court in 2002 had made it mandatory for new commercial vehicles to come fitted with speed limiter devices. Despite this, the order of the apex court is being flouted brazenly as the Government has failed to implement it, according to sources.
Commercial vehicles in the Capital are running without mandatory speed governors. As per the SC order, the State Government shall notify their tenders by January, 2016.
Extending his concerns over the issue, Dr Kamaljit Soi, the Chairman of Raahat of the ‘The Safe Community Foundation’ and also a member of the National Road Safety Council told the The Pioneer, “The installation of speed governors in commercial vehicles will bring down the road accidents by 20-25 per cent. Every State Government should take the responsibility to catalyse its implementation so as to curb the menace of speeding trucks and buses.”
Citing the data of Ministry of Road, Transport and highways (MORTH), Soi said, “36.8 per cent of accidents have been caused due to over-speeding. Trucks, buses and other heavy vehicles contributed to 27 per cent of road deaths. This is a good move to put check on speeding vehicles”.
He further said, “Speed governors cost only `10,000 per vehicle. It also helps in reducing air pollution. lower speed limit on motorways is expected to cut both fuel consumption and pollutant
emissions”.